Inlaid yarn and method of making same



June 9, 1936. J. H. PURDY 2,043,333..

INLAib YARN AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed Jan. 14, 1956 N OR Q g M /1 Patented June 9, 1936 UNITED STATES INLAID YARN AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME James H. Purdy, Willow Grove, Pa.

Application January 14, 1936, Serial No. 59,000

5 Claims.

This invention relates to the threads and yarns, and particularly to the type wherein a base thread is inlaid with yarn or roving.

My invention contemplates the inlaying on an open sliver of comparatively short spaced inlay rovings or threads of any suitable material of any desired color, and the completion of the drawing and spinning operations after the open sliver has been thus inlaid.

My invention further contemplates the production of a yarn having a right twist, or a left twist and in which short discontinuous ends of difierent yarn or rovings are inlaid at intervals.

My invention further contemplates the provision of a novel process of making yarn, including the step of cutting and depositing comparatively short discontinuous pieces of yarn or rovings in an open sliver, and then completing the drawing and spinning of the fibres to inlay the short pieces among the fibres of the yarn thus made.

The various objects of my invention will be clear from the description which follows, and from the drawing in which,

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic elevation of an open sliver as it appears at any intermediate point in the spinning and drawing operations, but preferably after it has been carded, and of the means for cutting and inlaying the inlay threads in the sliver.

- Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same showing the inlay threads in the positions assumed thereby before the sliver is wound into a ball.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view on a greatly enlarged scale of a single ply inlaid thread made in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 4 is a similar view of a multiple ply thread embodying my invention.

Fig. 5 is a combined perspective view and cross section of the same.

Inthe practical embodiments of my invention which I have. shown by way of example, it will be understood that any suitable type of fibre or combinations of different fibres may be used in the production of my new yarn. For example, the fibres of the base thread l0 may be of wool, worsted, silk, cashmere, rayon, cotton, camels hair, alpaca, mohair, rabbit's hair, angora or 1y animal, vegetable or synethetic fibre which can be made into yarn. Ifdesired, combinations of the above-mentioned fibres in any proportion,

producing a blend of the various fibres with each other, may be used. The inlay threads ll may be similarly made of any animal, vegetable or synthetic fibre, but is preferably in the form of yarn or roving before its introduction into the open sliver l2, from which the base yarn i0 is later made.

Preferably, after the formation and carding of the open sliver and as said sliver leaves the doffer, or at any other point in any of the drawing operations preliminary to the completion of the sliver into a thread, the inlay thread is severed from a spool of such thread into any desired length, and the thus severed ends are directed toward and deposited on the sliver in the desired spaced relation by suitable mechanism controlling the severing and depositing of the inlay threads.

As shown, the inlay threads H may be drawn off the spools 20 and fed by the rolls l3 and M into the severing rolls l5 and Iii. Said severing rolls are of the proper diameter and are rotated at the proper speed to cause the spaced severing knives ll thereof to cooperate with the anvil roll iii, to sever predetermined lengths of the inlay threads at the' desired predetermined intervals. Means are preferably provided for directing the thus severed discontinuous ends I8 to the open sliver i2 whereby the inlay ends I8 become arranged on the sliver. Said means may take the form of a suitably shaped guard 2|, compressed air through the pipe 22 aiding to forward the severed threads to the sliver.

It will be understood that any desired number of spools and inlay threads may be provided to arrange any number of rows of inlay threads on the open sliver, as shown in Fig. 2. The means provided for straightening the fibres also arranges the comparatively short severed inlaythreads in their proper parallel relation. As shown, said means may take the form of oppositely disposed sets of faller pins 23, 24 reciprocating towards each other and at high speed, while the sliver is moved longitudinally.

The means customarily employed in later drawing and spinning operations for arranging the fibres in substantially parallel relations are also eilective in maintaining the inlay threads against bunching or other disarrangement with relation to the base thread formed from the open sliver.

The sliver, after being wound into a ball with the inlay threads arranged at intervals therein, is completed in the usual manner to form the base thread l0, whereby the inlay threads are firmly interwoven and twisted or sandwiched in and among the remaining fibres of the yarn and form an integral part thereof.

When the inlay threads l8 are of contrasting colors to the color of the base thread ID, a yarn is thus formed in which the contrasting color appears spaced at intervals, more or less regular.

It will be understood that the inlay threads it may not only be of contrasting color to the base thread, but may be thicker or thinner, as desired, and may also be of difierent fibre, whereby a wide range of selection and appearance of the resulting yarn is made possible, and yarns of widely difierent appearances andtextures may be provided for the formation of a great variety of textile fabrics. It will further be understood that after the completion of a base thread provided with inlay as above described, a number of such threads may be twisted with any desired twist for the particular purpose for which the yarn is intended, thus to produce a yarn with any desired number of plies.

It will further be understood that since my new yarn may be made of one or more plies, it is suitable for weaving or knitting into any kind of a woven or knitted fabric.

In any case, however, it will be seen that I have produced a new yarn having an interrupted inlay, composed of comparatively short ends of yarn or rovings arranged at intervals along the base thread and adequately held thereto, and that by disposing said short ends in the open sliver during the process of spinning the warn, I have evolved a process and a yarn well designed to meet the severe requirements of practical use.

While I have shown and described certain specific embodiments of my invention, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto, but desire to claim my invention as broadly as may be permitted by the state of the prior art and the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The method of making inlaid yarn comprising cutting a thread into short lengths, blowing upon and guiding the short lengths as they are cut to desposit said short lengths at intervals on a moving unfinished open sliver and then completing the drawing and spinning operations upon the sliver with the said short lengths thereon to sandwich short lengths among the fibres of the sliver and to form a finished yarn.

2. The method of making inlaid yarn comprising severing predetermined short lengths of thread from the long length thereof, depositing said short lengths at intervals on an open sliver by means of fiuld under pressure while guiding said length to move toward the sliver, combing said lengths and the sliver to arrange said lengths in substantially parallel relation on the sliver, and then completing the drawing and spinning of the sliver to twist and sandwich the deposited thread among the fibres of the yarn produced from the sliver.

3. The method of making inlaid yarn comprising severing predetermined lengths of yarn from a continuous length of such yarn, blowing the severed lengths on to an open sliver while guiding said lengths toward the sliver, and then completing the yarn-forming operations on the sliver with the severed lengths wrapped therein.

4. The method of making inlaid yarn comprising blowing discontinuous lengths of thread on to a moving open sliver in heterogeneous relation, operating on the moving sliver and said lengths to straighten said lengths and to arrange them in substantially parallel relation, and substantially parallel to the direction of movement of the sliver and producing a yarn from the sliver and said lengths.

5. An inlaid yarn comprising a base thread of spun fibre and a series of discontinuous inlay threads of predetermined length, said inlay pre- 

